Marie Miller

Marie Miller, 98, was born May 1, 1926, on a farm near Ute, Iowa and passed away peacefully June 24, 2024, at Columbia Basin Nursing Home in Ephrata, Wash.

Marie was the youngest of six children and attended school in Ute. She graduated from a parochial school and went right on to college in Sioux City, Iowa for three months and received her teaching degree. There was an opening for a country school teacher and she was hired to teach grades kindergarten through eighth. She loved teaching and would walk to school each day and have the woodburning stove going before the children arrived.

After teaching for two years, Marie married Lester Miller on Nov. 26, 1944. They rented a little farm outside of town and farmed for 11 years before moving to Auburn, Wash., in 1957 with their children, Linda and Richard. Their best friends had moved two years prior and told them there were great opportunities in Washington.

Les got a job working for Ken Ardell at a feedlot in Auburn. Ken decided to build a feedlot and house near Ephrata on Dodson Road and made Les the foreman. In 1964, the family moved. Marie loved the country life. She loved her garden, but mostly, she loved her flowers and they were beautiful! She also loved doing church work, ceramics, sewing, making crafts, playing cards and putting puzzles together. She made dozens of lap robes for the residents of the nursing home. She kept herself busy.

Marie is survived by her children, Linda Jones (Russ), Richard Miller (Diane), grandchildren Jeff Quinney (Elizabeth), Katy Bremner (Gerry), Rose Jones, (Jeff), Naomi Quinney, great-grandchildren Laura Quinney and Kassidy Bremner.

Marie is preceded in death by her husband, Les, 2008, and grandson Todd Quinney, 2017.

A celebration of life service will be held at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Ephrata, Wash., on July 20, 2024, at 11 a.m.

Donations can be made to St. Jude's Hospital in her name.  She supported them for years.